The pandemic hit the hospitality industry hard. Even beloved venues across the country fell victim, with little chance of recovery. One such case was The General Tarleton, a historic pub and boutique hotel in the village of Ferrensby, Yorkshire – about a 10-minute drive from Harrogate. Despite being popular with locals and tourists alike – even making The Times’ list of top 20 “Restaurants with Rooms” in 2013 – it sadly closed its doors in October 2020.
But this story has a happy ending. Or rather, a promising next chapter, after acclaimed chef (and local) Tommy Banks stepped in to save the day.
Banks is best known for earning himself a Michelin star aged just 24 (the youngest chef in the UK to do so at the time). He did this at his family’s pub, The Black Swan, in his hometown of Oldstead, a mere 20 miles from Ferrensby. Now Banks has added a new string to his bow with his latest venture, Jeopardy Hospitality, whose sole mission is to sensitively restore defunct pubs in the north and give back to local communities. The General Tarleton is the hospitality group’s flagship project, having re-opened in autumn 2025.
No doubt to the relief of local patrons, much of The General Tarleton remains intact, including the name, which comes from British General Sir Banastre Tarleton. The 18th-century coaching inn is full of period charm, and the refurbishment expertly navigates that precarious balance of old and new.
The bedrooms have been completely refurbished, with eight out of 16 currently available (the remaining are set to be finished later this year). The dog-friendly, rabbit-warren style pub is as cosy and inviting as ever, while the dining rooms include a romantic light-drenched conservatory area. Upstairs is a brick-walled private dining space that also hosts wine-tasting events. James Banks (older brother of Tommy) has curated an impressive 40-strong wine list that mixes classic labels with unexpected and emerging producers. There are over 20 wines available by the glass, starting at an absolute steal at £6, with bottles from £29.
But the star of the show at The General Tarleton is, naturally, the food. Banks’s field-to-fork ethos and commitment to local ingredients and producers is at the forefront of the menus, with dishes that exude his trademark modern British style with a fine-dining flourish. The Ampersand Dairy butter is whipped to within an inch of its life; there’s steak tartar and barbecued monkfish tail on the menu alongside pie and mash and scotch egg. There’s not one, but two soufflés – a starter of twice-baked cheese, and pudding of apple-crumble soufflé. There’s a certain comfort and familiarity with the dishes but with delightful panache that makes a night out here rather special.
And whatever the season, there is a consistent nod to local produce that runs throughout, such as the Yorkshire pecorino that infuses the polenta served alongside a melt-in-the mouth slow-cooked lamb shoulder, and the dry-cured local charcuterie meats on the excellent bar snacks menu. The mushrooms are sourced from North Yorkshire newcomer Wild Spore Co, founded last year by two friends operating from a family garage. The General Tarleton is the company’s first commercial client, and a breakfast of mushrooms and poached egg on toast is the best way to sample its delicious wares. That is, if you are able to prise yourself away from that ludicrously soft bed. But at least you don’t have far to travel.
The new age of The General Tarleton is like slipping on a comfy pair of slippers at the end of a long day. A welcome return to form. And then some.
generaltarletonferrensby.co.uk
Gemma Billington is a London-based writer and editor
